


my body is an orphanage (we take everyone in)

by without_a_box



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Beds, Chairs, Gen, Implied Relationships, Just like everyone, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, sora and co hanging out, trying to explain how big soras heart is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-01-31 17:26:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12686823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/without_a_box/pseuds/without_a_box
Summary: She clears her throat, sniffs a little and blinks away the tears starting to form, "Well, that's Sora for you, does whatever he can to save someone, damn the consequences."





	1. when they made me they broke the mould

**Author's Note:**

> GUESS WHAT! IM BACK BITCHES!  
> This time coming from England, im here for a semester and like a proper student i am avoiding doing my course work, have some nonsense instead.

As it turned out, Sora's mother's kitchen table was not large enough to fit the number of people that Sora had brought home with him. The small wooden table was only created to fit four, had really only seated two for a while, and for the past few years, had only sat one.

When Sora had come home from his first adventure, he introduced his mother to Donald, Goofy, and the King, and when he left for his second adventure, he had really only given her the bare minimum of explanations of what he was really doing out there. But there really was no easy explanation for what Sora was doing, or for the people he dragged back to his small Island home.

But having Sora as a child does prepare one for unexpected surprises, his mother just smiles and starts ordering people around, rearranging furniture and chairs in the living room to fit everyone. In the end, every available surface is taken, couches moved, chairs brought in from the kitchen, the study, from Sora's room, even the old rocking chair from the back veranda. It is quite a sight to see.

"So now that everyone is seated," Sora's mother announces, as she sits on the large stuffed chair, arguably the most comfortable seat in the room, "how about some introductions."

On a two-seater couch, Sora and Riku are squished against each other, with Kairi balancing on their knees. Next to them is Namine in the slightly moving rocking chair, Xion next to her in a rolling chair, one hand on the seat next to her trying to stop the rocking and rolling movements, but failing. Roxas is next, sitting on Sora's study chair, leaning against his legs is Lea, sitting cross-legged on the floor. On the three kitchen chairs pushed together are Aqua, Ventus, and Terra. Ven is in the middle, shoulders pressed against his friends, one of Terra's arms is draped across the back of him, brushing Aqua's back. And in the last chair, pushed back against a wall, slightly separated from the rest, was Vanitas. 

"Well," She said once Sora had introduced everyone, "you may call me Ailine."

She eyes the group with interest, Sora had given her a haphazard introduction of each person, some with more information than others. She looks at the two blonde boys and the other boy in the corner, it was quite concerning to see her sons face more than once in this crowd.

"So how long have you known Sora?" She asks this question to no one in particular, to see what kind of answer she might get in return.

"His whole life." Came one answer. 

"Too long." Came another.

Ven and Vanitas stare at each other, a whole conversation happening without words. Vanitas looks away bitterly. All Ailine sees is another story she does not know.

"We've all known Sora in some way or another for a long time." Namine answers gripping the edge of the skirt.

Ailine purses her lips, is this all she is gonna get from this group, cryptic answers, and unspoken words.

Riku leans back, running a hand through his hair, "I really wish the King was here."

Ailine wishes that too, maybe she would be able to get a straight answer out of someone. 

"Ma'am," A deep voice from the other side of the room calls, "we're very sorry about all of this. It's just not an easy story to tell."

She had heard Sora echo similar words to that just over a year ago when he had returned for the first time, now he comes back taller, older, with more scars and tales she doesn't know, he comes back with people she doesn't know. She wonders if she'll ever get to know.

She looks Terra dead in the eye, "My son has been missing on and off for years, my husband has been gone even longer. I have had to watch my friends mourn the loss of their children, only to have them suddenly returned without any answers, then taken away again. I have had to live without my family for a very long time. So it might not be an easy story to tell, be it is one I am entitled to. You may not know me, but you do know my son, and for what I do know of this situation you owe him a lot more than an explanation to his mother, and I need to know what has happened. And I need to know who the hell you people are."

The boy with black hair starts the laugh.

"Oh I like this one, she's got fire." He leans forward, closer to the group than he has ever been before, "We know Sora because we came from his heart. From his light." He spits the last word.

She stares at him, she slightly knows what a Nobody is, but still, this statement is confusing.

"Well," Lea drawls, speaking for the first time since sitting, "Not all of us."

"Sora saved us," Aqua announces, "he pulled Terra and me from the darkness. We owe him everything."

Sora is blushing and rubbing the back of his head, face down but grinning slightly.

"Some of us wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for Sora." This time the answer comes from Xion, a girl with Kairi's face, "He let us into his heart and saved us until we could reunite with our bodies once again."

Ailine's son was the kindest soul she ever knew, sure he could be naive, but she knew that he would do absolutely anything to help those in need of saving. But still, it was quite strange to be sitting in a room filled with people that her son had risked everything for. This room of strangers had almost taken her son away from her. How had they ended up in this situation?

She clears her throat, sniffs a little and blinks away the tears starting to form, "Well, that's Sora for you, does whatever he can to save someone, damn the consequences." 

"Mum," Sora almost whispers, like an apology.

"Thank you for bringing my boy back to me." She looks around the room, at the repeated faces, older and younger, battle worn and scarred.

"It was the least we could do," Namine says.

"Like we would ever leave him behind," Kairi says, grinning at her.

"Like we even could," Riku mumbles, earning an elbow into his stomach by the girl sitting on his knee.

The sound he makes earns a few assorted laughs from the group, the mood brightens.

Ailine rises to her feet, "Well how about we order some dinner, I want to know each and every one of you." 

The way she stares into their eyes makes that statement almost sound like a threat.


	2. the lights are on and everybody's home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey what up, wasn't gonna write another chapter but i have, so congrats for you guys

If trying to fit everyone into a chair was hard, Ailine did not even consider the impossibility it would be to find a bed for everyone.

It had gotten quite late, and she was not as young as she once was, and the night was wearing on her, and she was not the only one. A few of the children had almost nodded off after dinner, the day's excitement coming to an end.

"Well, it's time for bed I guess," She slowly stood up, gaining the attention of everyone.

Kairi also jumped to her feet, "Of course, we can't expect you to house everyone, I'll bring Namine and Xion home with me. Father really won't mind."

She smiled at the girl, Kairi was always the most polite and sweet of Sora's bundle of friends, "Oh, thank you, dear."

Some of the others had already started moving chairs out of the way, "Help me get the sleepover stuff out of the cupboard," Sora instructed Riku as the walked off down the hall.

Terra had started lifting chairs to take back upstairs with Ven, giving Vanitas the side-eye as the boy slowly pushed the rocking chair back outside.

Roxas and Lea were standing in the kitchen talking quietly to each other, Lea slowly drying the dishes while Roxas put them away, how did he know where they had to go? Oh, right, Sora.

The girls were in a small circle with Aqua, the older woman smiling down at them. 

"Do you girls want me to get one of the boys to escort you home?" Ailine asked, as the girls waved to Aqua and started heading towards the front door.

"I think we can handle ourselves just fine Ailine," Kairi smiled, and Ailine believed that they really could handle anything wanting for them in the dark. Maybe she wasn't so young and sweet anymore. She stood at the door, watching the three girls walk off into the night, it wasn't until they had turned the corner and were out of sight before she went back inside.

Sora and Riku had returned from their trip to the cupboard, arms full of blankets and pillows and sleeping bags.

Terra and Ven were coming down the stairs, Ven jumping down two at a time. Vanitas stood off in the corner, carefully watching Aqua who just stared right back at him.

She looked around the room, trying to figure out the bedding situation once again.

"Well, we have a double bed in the guest room if Terra and Aqua don't mind sharing," Ailine looked over to the couple, who just smiled slightly and nodded, "And Riku can share with Sora."

Sora grinned at Riku and rubbed the back of his head, "Just like old times, right?"

Riku blushed, before poking Sora's cheek, "As long as you don't steal the blankets, you hog."

Ailine watched her boys, she missed them so much her heart ached at the sight of the two of them, playing and pushing each other around as though they were small children once again.

"The couch folds out, so we can fit two people there, but," She looked around the four remaining without a bed.

"Roxy and I can share," Lea swung an arm around the shorter boys shoulders, and Roxas immediately dug his elbow into Lea's ribs. It was a testament to their friendship that Lea barely even reacted to the action.

"Don't call me Roxy."  The way he pouted and grumbled reminded her so strongly of Sora it was almost scary. In the short time she had known Roxas, he tried so hard to be his own person, she guessed he couldn't escape his Somebody entirely.

Riku lobbed a sleeping bag at Vanitas, "I guess you get the floor,"

He caught the object effortlessly, "Guess I do then."

Another story she doesn't know, out of the group, Vanitas was probably the one she knew the least about.

Sora handed the other bag over the Ven who was standing close to him, Sora looked to Riku then back to Ven and just shrugged.

She waved everyone off and started walking up the stairs, leaving the quiet voices behind her.

It had been quite the night.

* * *

She waked later than she normally would, the sun already peaking through her curtains, the sound of waves a comforting constant noise. And sounds coming from downstairs. It took her half a second to remember the circus of people her son had brought home with him last night.

Life with Sora was anything but quiet.

She went through her morning routine before exiting the room. Making her way towards the guest room first, the door half open she peeked inside. The bed was so perfectly made, she wondered for a moment if anyone had even slept there last night, but Terra and Aqua seemed like very tidy people.

Next was a visit to her son's room. The door was still closed. She stood there, gripping the handle tightly like she had so many other times when he had been gone. Like she had that night he had disappeared so many years ago, on that fateful stormy night. Like she had when she once again remembered her son. The memory of the day felt like a hole in her chest, the way her knees hit the floor as his name came back to her, and she could suddenly see that door again, she had gripped the handle, hadn't even opened it yet when she broke down into tears, banging and crying and screaming for her lost child. A single fingernail mark still etched into the door, a forever reminder of that day.

The door creaked open and she looked inside. Riku and Sora were still in bed, Riku was awake but lying on his back, staring out the open window towards the small island, Sora half lying on his chest, still dead asleep. Bodies draped over each other. Riku turned his head towards her and smiled, before placing a finger on his lips with his free hand before pointing down at Sora.

She nodded and waved at him before slowly backing out and closing the door.

The next stop on her tour was the living room. One sleeping bag had been pushed into a pile against one wall, while the other was neatly folded against the other. She could only guess who had slept where.

Roxas and Lea were still dead asleep, something she was surprised at due to the noise flowing from the kitchen. The two boys were so entwined with each other it was almost impossible to figure out whose leg and arms were whose. Roxas' face smushed into Lea's neck, one hand stuck in the unruly hair. One of Lea's arms trapped underneath Roxas' head and the other lying across his chest. Their positions looked vaguely uncomfortable she didn't know how they were even sleeping.

The kitchen was another kettle of fish. Shopping bags were placed on one counter, Xion digging through one. Namine bringing plates and bowls out of various cupboards. Kairi and Ven standing over the stove top, cooking. In one corner she watched the toaster pop.

"You didn't have to do this," Ailine exclaimed, shocked at the amount of action and movement happening in her normally calm kitchen.

"Ailine!" Kairi jumped, "Of course we did, I know you weren't prepared for this kind of a mess, and you know my father is always willing to lend a hand."

Of course, her father, the mayor, was willing to help. She wondered what kind of explanation that man had received from his daughter.

"How about you just enjoy the sun while we get breakfast ready," Namine smiled at her.

"As long as someone drags those boys out of bed at some point," She caved, it was hard to say no to Kairi, even harder when there were three girls all wearing the same smile.

She made her way outside to a new sight, once again.

Terra and Aqua were sparring with each other, it reminded her of the way Riku and Sora would spar when they were younger. But a lot more intense.

In a corner of the garden was Vanitas, lying on the ground, she couldn't tell if he was asleep or not from this distance.

She lowered herself onto the rocking chair, taking in all these new sights and sounds. Her small home had been so quiet for so long she had forgotten what it felt for it to be alive.

As she sat and listened to the orchestra of noise flowing from around her, the sun shining on her face, her son back home again, she thought to herself, she could get used to this.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact; i had to write a list of the characters names so i could constantly check that i hadn't forgotten to put someone in a scene, poor ven seems to suffer the most from my neglect
> 
> might write more, who know, definitely not me

**Author's Note:**

> short epilogue:
> 
> "So you, Ventus, Vanitas, Xion and Namine were all in his heart?" Ailine questions.  
> "Well, Namine was in Kairi's heart," Roxas replies.  
> "And Kairi was in Sora's heart as well."  
> "Yeah, but before I got there."  
> "And Riku?"  
> "Yeah, he popped in for like ten minutes but it was getting a bit crowded."  
> "Anyone else?"  
> Roxas just shrugs.
> 
> \------------  
> right so my friend was sending me like a bunch of snapchats with chairs so i had to put in a whole paragraph about people sitting in chairs  
> hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
